Sliding draft lug for railway cars



Sept. 17, 1957 B. E. PETERSON SLIDING DRAFT LUG FOR RAILWAY CARS 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1954 INVENTOR.

Sept. 17, 1957 B. E'. PETERSON 2,806,611

summe DRAFT LUG RoR RAILWAY cARs Filed June 28. 1954 y 4 Sheets-Sheet 240 `fg, 4 .34 Il|I v/ .34 36 I so" 'HR 1 E Y Iw "HHH i' l l I 'l 711| Il. l.

I INVENTOR. f'em Sept. 17, 1957 Filed June 28, 1954 B. E. PETERSONSLIDING DRAFT LUG FOR RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 sept. 11,1957 l,

B. E. PETERSON 7 summe DRAFT Luc Foa RAILWAY cARs Filed June 28. 1954 4Sheets-'Sheet 4 secondary follower.

United States Patent O 2,8%,611 SLIDING nnanr LUG non nArLwAY CARSBertil E. Peterson, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Cardwell WestinghouseCompany, a corporation of Delaware Application June 28, 1954, Serial No.439,799 19 Claims. (Cl. Z13- 22) The present invention relates to asliding draft lug for railway cars, and, more particularly, to a slidingfront draft gear lug for use with the tandem draft gear disclosed in myco-pending application Serial No. 399,970, filed December 23, 1953, ofwhich this application is a continuation-impart.

My above-mentioned co-pending application discloses a railway car draftand buffing arrangement including center sills, front and rear draftlugs or stops fixed to the sills, a vertical yoke connected by a draftkey to a coupler. shank provided with a front follower, and a draft gearwithin the yoke in the usual manner and adjacent the front follower.According to the teachings of said co-pending application, the draftgear lugs or stops that take the thrust from the draft gear to thecenter sills are located inwardly beyond the bolster, and an inner orback draft gear is associated with them anda secondary orrear follower.The bolster center filler casting is modified to provide spaced passagesor passageways, one at either side of the center pin opening, to receivea pair of thrust members acting as columnsbetween the rear of the casingfor the draft gear and the rear or For a more detailed description, onemay refer to my above-mentioned application, the complete disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in the interests of brevity.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a railway draft andbuffing arrangement including draft gear in tandem wherein conventionaldraft gear couplers and yokes may be employed with facility.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for properlybalancing and supporting conventional couplers used in connection withtandem draft gear.

According to the present invention, the railway car center sills extendshort of the end of the car, and a pair of rigid channel members isfixedly mounted on the sides of the center sills at a distance apartthat is greater than the distance between the center sills. Said channelmembers have their inner ends joined to the respective ends of thecentersills and extend to a point adjacent the end of the car. A second set ofrigid channel members is slidably mounted within the first set and inalignment with the center sills, respectively. The second set of channelmembers carries a draft key which connects the coupler shank, thatextends inwardly between the second set of channel members to a yokeco-operating in the usual manner with the first or outer draft gear.VThe front follower bears against the first or outer draft gear in buffwith the force being transmitted by means of the thrust members to therear draft gear and rear lugs or stops, and in draft the follower bearsagainst lugs or` abutment means on the second pair of channel members,comprising front draft gear lugs or stops, which are limited in theiroutward movement by further lugs or abutment means co-operating with`lugs or abutment means formed on the fixed pair of channel members. Acoupler carrier is fixed between the second set of channel members onwhich the coupler shank may be properly 2,896,611 Patented Sept. 17,1957 supported and balanced regardless of its position with respect tothe fixed channel members and the center sills, of which the fixedchannel members form a part.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the present inventionprovides substantial advantages over prior practices. For example,conventional draft gear couplers and yokes may now be employed inconnection with a tandem draft gear arrangement that provides a markedincrease in capacity to absorb bufing shocks, and yet the couplers aresupported so as to avoid undesirable sag.

In addition to the foregoing, it is an object of the present inventionto provide a draft and buffing structure of the character defined whichis economical of manufacture, capable of ready attachment toconventional railway vehcles and capable of use with substantially alltypes of draft vehicles.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof,in which:

Fig. l is a horizontal section through familiar parts of a freight car,showing the ldraft and buffing or cushion elements thereof in draftposition;

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. l, showing the draft and bufiing or cushionelements in cushioning or buing position;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View along line 3-3 of Fig. l, with partsshown in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the outerend of the center sillsillustrating my invention as applied thereto;

and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5, with parts broken away forclarity of illustration.

Referring more particularly to Figs. l and 2, reference numeral 10indicates center sills that are fixed to the bottom of a railway car inthe conventional manner. Also shown are front and rear draft gear lugsor stops 11 and 12, a vertical yoke 13 connected to a coupler shank 14by draft key 15 in the positions they assume in draft with the couplerhorny 16 spaced from the striking plate 17 '(see Figs. 5 and 6) and thefront follower 18 against the front gear lugs 11 (in the position ofFig. l). Reference numeral 19 indicates a familiar form of `draft gearincluding friction plates 19a, supported by draft gear carrier 20 and inthe usual relation within the yoke 13.

As described in my aforementioned application, the draft gear lugs orstops, indicated at 12, that take the thrust from the draft gear to thecenter sills, are positioned inwardly beyond the bolster 21, and aninner or back draft gear 22, including friction plates 22a, isassociated with them and a rear or secondary follower 23. The bolstercenter filler casting 25 is provided with spaced passages or passageways26, one atV either side of the center pin opening 27, to receive a pairof thrust members 28 acting as columns between the rear of the casingfor the draft gear 19 and the rear or secondary follower 23. Hardenedsteel wear blocks (not shown) are positioned in the bot-toms of thepassageways to support the thrust members 2f, at rest and in their backand forth movement during lche operation of the draft gear mechanism.The bolster center filler may be welded or otherwise fixed to the centersill structure as desired..

In the present invention the outer ends of the sills 10 do not extend tothe end o'f the car, but instead terminate a distance somewhat shortA ofthe end, and rigid channel members or bars or plates 34, which may be ofother configuration, are fixedly mounted on either side of the sills andextend from the sills to a point adjacent the end of the car.

Diagonal tie plates 36 rigidly connect the channel members 34 to theends of the Ysills 10 and die bar 29 (see Figs. 5 and 6) spaces the endsof members 34 apart from eachof other; in effect the channel members 34comprise outer ends of the sills`that are offset outwardly from eachother to provide an enlarged space'31' therebetween. Slidably mountedwithin the horizontal sides of the channel members 34, on hardened.steel wear plates or bars 33 (see Fig. 3), are the rigid channel'members or bars or plates 38 (which also maybe of other.

configuration) preferably aligned .withv the center' sill lianges 40, asshown in Figs. l and 2. The front draft gear lugs or stops 11, togetherwith'strengthening ribs I 37 (see Fig. 6) are fixed to the channel.members 38,A`

and said channel members carry the draft key V (in holesv orperforations 41')v for movement therewlth. The

draft key extends 'thro-ugh the channel members 34, which" have slots42' provided therein to allow for relatlve movement of the key. Lugs orabutmentmeans 44, fixed to the'inside surfaces :of channel members 34,cooperate with lugs or abutment means .46' fixed to the outside surfacesof the channel members 38""(seesFigs'. 1 and 6) to limit the outwardmovement of channel .members 38.

As shown in Figs. 3 and. 6,' the channel members'34. are provided withrigid members 50 forwardly of abutment means 44, which may be weldedthereto,'as at'51,

to act as spacers and reinforcing or strengthening members, and channelmembers 38'are provided with"`simi-.

lar members 53 .(see Fig.,6).' The draftkey'may be provided. with aconventional. head 54 and .pin' 56' to insure that it remains in theposition illustrated, and the top flanges of the channel members 34' maybe fixed', as,

by welding, tothe plate 581,10 further strengthen lthestructural.arrangement' As illustrated 'most clearly in Figs. 5 and 6,`acoupler carrier 60 is secured between the channel members 38V by anysuitable means, such as by bolts 62.

It has been found that the sliding channel arrangement, together. withthecoupler carrier forminga part thereof, allows one tof correctlybalance and' support conventional draft gear couplers withoutmodification of" the couplers and yokes employed.

In operation, upon receiving a buffing shock, .the coupler shank 14 ismoved to the right in Fig. l, transmitting the force. of the shock tothe front or primary fol-` lower 18, thence to the front draft gear 19,thence to the columns'or thrust members 2S, thence t9 the secondaryfollower 23, thence to the vrear draft gear 22, -'and' finally to therear lugs or stops 12. During the course of movement the; draft gearsfunction in the usual manner to allow travel, and during travel toabsorb and dissipate the energy of the shock and spread out the force ofimpact.' In the 'illustrated structure, the draft key 15,upon buffingshock, urges the cfhannel members 38 inwardly' of the' car 'or'to the'right' in Figyl, and

separates the abutment'rneans or lugs 46 'from the' abut-' ment meansorlugs 44 (see Fig. 2).

Upon release the draft gearsv act according to their design to returnall moving parts to the original position as shown in Fig. 1.

VIn the draft the coupler shank' 14 moves outwardly of-the' car or tothe" left of Figs. 1 and 2. The' draft key 15 'operates in conventionalmanner to pull. yoke 13 and gear 19 therein against follower plate 18,`said follower abuttinglug 11 which resists motion .due to couplercarrier carried thereby) will .be governed .by

the playbetween the draft key 15 and the channel mernbers 38.

The foregoing description and the drawingsare given merely to explainand illustrate my invention, and the.

invention` is not to be limited thereto, except in so far as theappended claims are so limited since'those skilledV in the art who havemy disclosure before them will be able to make modifications andvariations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a railroad car, center sills having their outer ends offsetoutwardly from each other to provide an enlarged space therebetween,sliding bars mounted .on each side of said enlarged space for movementlongitudinally of the sills, a draft key carried by said bars, a couplershank, a yoke connected to said coupler shank through said key, afollowercarried within .said space, cushioning means carried adjacentand inwardly of said follower, abutment meanscarried by Vsaid centersills for limiting outward movement of said bars, and draft gear lugscarried by said bars for limiting outward movement of said follower.

2. vIn a railroad car including spaced apart center sills, a couplershank, a yoke connected to by a draft key, a front follower, cushioningmeans mounted withinthe yoke and adjacent the follower,'and front draftgear lugs Iadjacent the follower, the improvement comprising a pairofrigid members xe'dly secured-to the car'adjacent'th'e end thereof andspaced apart a distance greater' than the distance 'between the centersills, said members forming the outer ends of the center sills, a pairof plates slidably mounted betwen said rigid members for movementlongitudinally of the center sills, said front draft gear lugs beingfixed to said plates, saidv follower being VVdisposed between said lugsand said compression means, and abutment means carried by said rigidmembers-for limiting outward movement of said plates.

3. A draft device comprising an elongated rigid enclosure having anouter end of greater width than the remainder 0f the enclosure with theouter end being partially defined by laterallyspaced apartsubstantially'vertical side walls, laterally/"spaced apart slidingplates mounted adjacent the outer end of each side wall, a draft keycarried by saidA `plates, a coupler shank, a yoke connected to saidcoupler shank by said key,.compression means carried-withinthe yoke,follower means'cooperating with the end of said coupled shank, draftgear lugs carried by said plates for engagement with said follower meansyon outward movement of said shank, said follower means engaging Asaidcompression means on inward movement thereof, and abutmentmeans carriedby said plates for engagementA with said side walls near theirouter endsto limit outward movement of said plates.

4. In a railroad car, center sills having their outer ends offsetoutwardly from leach other to provide an enlarged space therebetween,sliding bars mounted on each side of saidwenlarged space for movementlongitudinally of the sills, a draft key carried by said bars, a couplershank,

a yoke connected to said coupler shank through said key,

a yfollower-carried within said espace, draft gears spaced apart intandem, one of said draft gears being carried within said yoke andadjacent said. followerprigid means extending between said draft gearsand being mounted for sliding movement therebetween, abutment meanscarried by said outer ends of said center sills for limiting outwardmovement of said bars, and draft gear lugs carried by said bars forlimiting outward movement of said follower. Y

5. In a railroad car, center sills having their-outer'ends offsetyoutwardly from each other to provide an enlarged space therebetween,sliding bars mounted von each side of said enlarged space formovementlongitudinally of the sills, .a draft key carried by said bars, acoupler shank, a

yoke connected to-said coupler shank through said key,

a front follower, a pair of draft gears spaced apart in tandem, one ofsaid draft'gears being carried within said yoke and adjacent said frontfollower, a bolster fillerV betweensaid draft' gears and having Aspacedpassageways,..

thrust,members -in the passageways in thrust relation to the couplershank the draft gears, rear draft gear lugs xed to said center sills andco-operating with the other of said draft gears, abutment means carriedby said outer ends of said center sills for limiting outward movement ofsaid bars, and front draft gear lugs carried by said bars for limitingoutward movement of said follower.

6. In a railroad car, center sills extending short of the end of thecar, a first pair of channels xedly mounted on the sides of the centersills and extending between the ends of said center sills and the end ofthe car, said channels being disposed to provide a relatively wide spacetherebetween, and having their short sides opposed to each other, -asecond pair of channels each mounted for sliding movement within theshort sides of the rst pair of channels, abutment means carried by eachchannel of said second pair of channels for engagement with -saidfirst-mentioned abutment means to limit outward movement of said secondpair of channels, and a coupler carrier fixed between said second pairof channels.`

7. In a railroad car, center sills extending short of the end of thecar, a first pair of channels iixedly mounted on the sides of the centersills and extending between the ends of said center sills and the end ofthe car, said channels being disposed to provide a wider spacetherebetween than the space between said center sills, said channelshaving their short sides horizontally disposed and opposed to eachother, a second pair of channels each mounted yfor sliding movementwithin the short sides of the first pair of channels, a draft keycarried by said second pair of channels, a coupler shank disposedbetween said second pair of channels, a yoke connected to said couplershank through said key, a follower co-operating with said coupler shank,compression means mounted within said yoke, abutment means carried bysaid first pair of channels, abutment means carried by said second pairof channels for engagement with said first-mentioned abutment means tolimit outward movement of said second pair of channels, and draft gearlugs carried by said second pair of channels for limiting outwardmovement of said follower.

8. In buff cushioning apparatus, draft gears spaced apart in tandem, abolster filler between the draft gears and having spaced passageways,thrust members in the passageways in thrust relation to the draft gears,a coupler shank, a yoke connected to the coupler shank by a draft key, afollower co-operating with the end of the coupler shank to transmit butfforces from said shank to the outer of said draft gears, and rigidmembers mounted adjacent said follower for limited longitudinalmovement, said follower engaging said rigid members in draft, said rigidmembers limiting the outward movement of said coupler shank.

9. In buff cushioning apparatus, draft gears spaced apart in tandem,thrust members extending therebetween in thrust relation to the draftgears, a coupler shank, a yoke connected to the coupler shank by a draftkey, a follower co-operating with the end of the coupler shank totransmit buff forces from said shank to the outer of said draft gears,and rigid members mounted adjacent said follower for limitedlongitudinal movement, said follower engaging said rigid members indraft, said rigid members limiting the outward movement of said couplershank.

l0. In buff cushioning apparatus, draft gears spaced apart in tandem,thrust members extending therebetween in thrust relation to the draftgears, a coupler shank, a yoke connected to the coupler shank by a draftkey, a follower co-operating with the end of the coupler shank totransmit buff forces from said shank to the outer of said draft gears,and rigid bars mounted either side of said coupler shank and adjacentsaid follower for limited longitudinal sliding movement, said barshaving a coupler carrier fixed therebetween for supporting said couplershank, said follower engaging said rigid bars in draft, said rigidmembers limiting the outward movement of said coupler shank.

1l. In a railway car having cushioning apparatus of the type adapted forextended travel in buif mounted between spaced center sills and adaptedto receive buff forces from a coupler shank, front stop lugs in slidableengagement with said center sills, said lugs having first abutment meanscooperating with abutment means on said center sills to limit theoutward travel of said cushioning apparatus and second abutment meansengaged bythe inward movement of the coupler shank to move the said lugsinwardly.

v 12. In a railway car having cushioning apparatus of the type adaptedfor extended travel in bulf mounted between spaced center sills havingtheir outer ends offset laterally from each other to provide an enlargedspace therebetween and adapted to receive bui forces from a couplershank, front stop lug supporting means in slidable engagement with saidouter ends, and front stop lugs rigid with said supporting means, saidsupporting means having a irst abutment surface cooperating withabutment means on said center sills to limit the outward travel of saidcushioning apparatus and having a second abutment surface having a rstportion responsive to the inward movement of the coupler shank to movethe front stop lugs inwardly from their outer limit position and asecond portion responsive to the release movement of the cushioningapparatus to return the front stop lugs to their outer limit position.

13. In a railway car having cushioning apparatus of the type adapted forextended travel in buff mounted between spaced center sills and adaptedto receive bui forces from a coupler shank and draft forces from a yokeconnected to said shank by a draft key, front stop lugs in slidableengagement with said center sills, said lugs including iirst abutmentmeans cooperating with fixed abutment means on said center sills tolimit the outward travel of said cushioning apparatus and secondabutment means engaged by the inward movement of the draft key to slidethe said lugs inwardly whereby conflict between the yoke and said lugsis avoided.

14. In a railway car having cushioning apparatus of the type adapted forextended travel in buff mounted between spaced center sills and adaptedto receive buff forces from a conventional coupler shank and draftforces from a conventional yoke connected to said shank by a draft keyin a conventional manner, the improvement wherein the outer ends of saidcenter sills are offset laterally from each other to provide an enlargedspace and said outer ends carry fixed abutment means, front stop lugs inslidable engagement with said outer ends, said lugs including firstabutment means cooperating with said fixed abutment means to limit theoutward travel of said cushioning apparatus and second abutment meansengaged by the inward movement of the draft key to slide said lugsinwardly and prevent conict between the yoke and said lugs.

15. In a railway car having cushioning apparatus of the type adapted forextended travel in bulf mounted between spaced center sills and adaptedto receive buff forces from a coupler shank, a coupler carrier iron inslidable engagement with said center sills, and means engaged by theinward movement of the coupler shank to move the carrier iron inwardly asubstantially corresponding distance.

16. In a railway car having cushioning apparatus of the type adapted forextended travel in buff mounted between spaced center sills and adaptedto receive buff forces from a coupler shank, a coupler carrier iron isslidable engagement with said center sills, and means engaged by theinward movement of the coupler shank to move the carrier iron inwardlyfrom its neutral position a substantially corresponding distance andengaged by the release movement of the cushioning apparatus to returnthe carrier iron to its neutral position.

17. In a railway car having cushioning apparatus of the type adapted forextended travel in buff mounted between spaced center sills and adaptedto receive buff forces from a coupler shank, carrier iron supportingmeans in slidable engagement with said center sills, and a carrier iron`rig-idf' with'y saidl supporting. means, .t sa'd supporting' meanshavingl a'rst' portion thereof'- engaged by the'l in- Ward-'movement ofthefco'upler* shankto move ther? c'a'rn'er' iron! irivardly.t from' its`neutral y position'a' substantiallycorresponding distance and' a second'portionv7 engagedby theT releaseA movementoft-the'cushioningapparatuseto'return' the carrier iron to 'itsl neutralf position;

18'. In a railway car' lhaving cushioningi apparatus@ of theftypeadaptedfor' extended 'travel'in buff mountedf'between 'space'dfcenter' sills`and 'adapted y"to receivebff forces' from" al coupler' shank,- theYimprovement wherein said center sills'- include fixedabutme'ntmeans-:and front stop lugs'are slidablyl'mountedon'saidcentersills'withl each luglinc'ludin'g-.a first abutment surface'inward'ofs'aid abut` mentf means'` to cooperate therewith'1 and f limit'outward' travel ofisaid"cushio'ni'ngv appa'ratus' and a ys'econdabutmentsurface e'n'g'aged'bylthe'inWard-'movement of' th'e coupler shank tomove' thesaid' lugs inwardly.'

'19.1In'1a'ra'iliv'ayl c'ar-V having' cushioning' apparatus oftheftypeadapted Vfor extendedltravel lin' buff mounted be'-tween-spacedlcertersills andadap'tedto irece'ivebut -fo'rces l from a'cbuplen shank;1supportingImeansmounted in#y slidr able:engzgerentwithasaid center sill's'and carrying front stop-#lugsl andafc'arrierli'ron; saidspportingfrne'ans having' References-Cited in thevtile of l'this' patent r UNITED STATES; PATE1\ITS;y

1 ;s62;08 0j Glasezviineu June 7," 1932" 1,92`2;732' Hseitin'e" ng: 15,1933"y 2,039,266 Barro'Ws'et'al. Apr. 28; 1936" 2,239,634 `Tlunsfr`om-*Ap'rL 22, 1,9451 2,568,831 Simmonson Sept.' 25, 1951`

